Koda Glover has spent two seasons learning hard lessons in MLB

Humility can smack athletes via poor results, or, worse, bad outcomes paired with body breakdowns.

For two years, this has been the plight of confident, young, could-be-dynamic Koda Glover, the Washington Nationals reliever who throws hard but is yet to last.

Glover roared to the major leagues in 2016. April 7 of that year, he threw his first pitch for Single-A Potomac, less than a year after he was drafted. April 30, he threw his first pitch for Double-A Harrisburg. June 21, his first pitch for Triple-A Syracuse. July 20, he threw four pitches, all strikes, in Nationals Park against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Not long after, problems began.

Glover, 24, eventually found out he had a torn labrum in his hip. He equated the pain to someone jabbing an ice pick in his leg every time he landed on it. He pitched through it for almost a month before it became too much to bear. Once Glover spoke up, doctors discovered the tear. He chose straight rehabilitation instead of offseason surgery. He threw just 19 2/3 innings in the major leagues. His ERA was 5.03.

Glover returned to spring training healthy in 2017. He hoped for the open closer’s job, though was also insistent he would take any role asked of him in the bullpen. His demeanor and hard fastball made him appear structured for the late innings. The job went to Blake Treinen, but Glover started the season as an important piece of the bullpen. In June, he was placed on the 10-day disabled list because of a stiff back. A late-June MRI showed severe rotator cuff inflammation and two strains in his right shoulder. He never made it back to a major-league mound. Glover pitched 19 ⅓ innings. His ERA was 5.12.

The question for Glover is if the back-to-back busted seasons have driven lessons into his psyche. Will he speak up early if he feels pain? Will he spend time in the trainer’s room if it is recommended? Will he be able to make it a full season without being hurt?

One definitive thing is how irritated Glover was last season when he was injured again. He spent weeks marooned in West Palm Beach, Florida, at the Nationals’ spring training complex trying to set himself up for a late-season return. Glover never made it, receiving a double-down on frustration when he watched Max Scherzer enter in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the National League Division Series only to relinquish Washington’s lead.

“With me it just keeps replaying in my head, is I feel like that was my situation,” Glover said. “I felt like I would have been successful in that situation for sure and those are the moments that I missed out on and I don’t want to miss out on them any more.”

Washington general manager Mike Rizzo absorbed a portion of the blame for Glover’s consecutive injury-filled seasons when asked if Glover’s furious rise to the major league’s contributed to his future physical problems.

“Yeah, I think it did,” Rizzo said. “We pushed him pretty fast. You talk about college to the big leagues in a little just over a year. His stuff kind of dictated that he was moved at that pace. I always think that relievers develop faster than any other position. I think as much as his developmental curve affected him, I think his makeup affected him. He tried to push through things. He tried to battle through things. He wants to be in the big leagues and wanted to pitch through some pain and I think that ended up biting him at the end.

“That’s part of youthful baseball players. They have the John Wayne Syndrome. They want to battle through things, they want to fight through things and they don’t want to be in that training room. They think that says something about their makeup. He’s learning. He’ll figure it out. I think that he’s going to be a real big long-term piece for us.”

Glover has turned to Stephen Strasburg for advice. Strasburg, too, has suffered multiple injuries in his career. Over time, he has learned that — despite the exterior commentary — taking care of something small when it pops up can prevent a larger problem later, so he would trudge back to the trainer’s room. The tussle between maintenance and reputation has long been a battle for major-league players, particularly young relievers. Availability means future payment, a better job, the respect of players in the clubhouse. Over-pursuit of being available can lead to complications that undermine everything the player was trying to accomplish with the initial push.

“Koda’s gonna be OK,” Strasburg said. “He’s still trying to figure out — he’s really young. He’s got all the ability in the world. I think it’s just a matter of figuring out what sticks. It’s tough at that age when you get into big-league camp for the first time and you’re knocking on the door. Your lifelong goal — you’re there, you can see it in sight. Maybe if you push a little harder early on, you’ll be there. Unfortunately with the way the game works, a lot of guys don’t even get their shot of breaking with clubs, just because of contracts and whatever, service time. So that is what it is. I just try to remind him it’s like big picture. Even if you don’t start with the team, you just have to have your eyes on the end of the year and being in top shape and see what happens.”

Glover has already been throwing this offseason. He has employed a trio of physical therapists that work in a rotation. One told him to keep throwing, he did, and felt better.

Rizzo expects Glover not only to be ready for spring training, but to be a large part of the bullpen next season. The back three innings are occupied by veterans. Glover could slide into the middle innings, that spot that Scherzer handled in the fateful final playoff game. He expects to be there, which led to a December proclamation about spring training.

“As of right now, I will be ready,” Glover said. “No doubt.”